Enact new law to ensure protection, rights of child domestic workers

Lawmakers and representatives of development organizations on Wednesday stressed the need for enacting a new law to ensure the protection and rights of children engaged in domestic work.

Speaking a dialogue on 'Protection and Rights of Child Domestic Workers and Legal Reality,' they said, protection of the rights of domestic workers is not possible under the existing legal framework.

“So, it is necessary to enact the domestic workers protection law to protect the large number of child domestic workers from physical, mental, economic and sexual abuse, they made the observations.”

Action for Social Development (ASD), Shapla Neer and Educo-Bangladesh jointly organised the dialogue at Parliament Members Club of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Addressing the dialogue as the chief guest, Deputy Speaker Md Shamsul Haque Tuku said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working to ensure their protection in all aspects to make every child a developed citizen of Bangladesh.

“Child protection has statutory requirements. But it is difficult to protect them only by law. In order to realize the fundamental rights of children engaged in domestic work, they should be treated as children of the householder,” he said.

In Smart Bangladesh, he said, regulations should be made for the recruitment of domestic workers and secondary education should be compulsory for every child along with primary education.

“Through this, employment of child labor will be reduced to a large extent,” he observed.

Presided over by ASD Executive Director MA Karim, the dialogue was also addressed among others, by Principal Rawshan Ara Mannan, MP, Freedom fighter Meer Mostaque Ahmed Robi, MP, Vice chairman of Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights Aroma Datta, Gloria Jhorna Sarker, MP, Country Director of Shapla Neer Tomko Uchiyama, Md Abul Khair of UNICEF, Md Mahbubul Haque of Shishu Odhikar Forum, Md Rafiqul Alam, Jahangir Hossain and M Hamidur Rahman.

Shamsul Haque Tuku said there is a provision in the existing law to take measures if children engaged in domestic work are tortured, but still if there is a need for amendments, a full draft should be prepared and presented to the government in consultation with the Ministry of Law and experts.

He assured that the government is ready to do everything possible to ensure the welfare of children.

“The government is ready to do everything possible to ensure the welfare of children,” he added.

He mentioned that the government has not given the opportunity to which family will engage children in domestic work due to scarcity.

Rawshan Ara Mannan said the government and members of the opposition must continue their joint efforts to ensure children's rights.

Meer Mostaque Ahmed Robi said the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took special initiatives to protect children. Following this, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has amended and revised child-friendly laws and policies.

Aroma Dutta called for the enforcement of the law saying that there is no enforcement of the Child Labor Act.

Gloria Jharna Sarkar said despite the strict measures taken by the government, domestic workers are constantly being tortured.

Therefore, to prevent violence against children and ensure their rights, monitoring should be strengthened along with the implementation of policies, she added.

The dialogue was informed that a draft of the Domestic Workers Protection Act has already been prepared under the initiative of Educo-Bangladesh, Shapla Neer and ASD.

Among the provisions of the proposed law, special emphasis is placed on the fact that no child below the age of 14 years can be employed in domestic work.

The draft law can be finalised following due process through discussions with concerned ministries of the government.